"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Tag Archives: Digital

End of troubled year,so Let me does some Random Considerations..If I’m not wrong somewhere(American Cinematographer Vol. 89 Issue 5 Kink and the City By Jon Silberg) I read that “my” DANTE SPINOTTI A.S.C-A.I.C for the feature DECEPTION used older Super Speed primes lenses over modern HD digital camera(at that times Panavision Genesis ) and modern primo lenses over classic super35 film camera like ARRI or Panaflex..so I used this tips,among the many that he does in every his interview, for my gear using classic/vintage Pentax SMC A Manual Focus lenses(50mm f 1.7- 50mm f 1.4) over my digital APS-C Pentax SLR and I get , sometimes with the beauty of some difficult, OUTSTANDING results,working at 50mm full frame lenses(75mm if compared to Pentax APSC DSLR System 1,5x) ;last hardly I will pass to full frame ,not for my pocket ,my computer and skills.Check My Flickr

Then I was able to recover a 1984 RICOH XRP 35mm film camera mounting a Ricoh 50 mm lenses f 1.7 for understand what Quentin Tarantino and other great Directors are keeping alive in to cinema industry,the use of film,to be honest as just not pro in that days is quite a mess develop films and scan for obtain nice prints (prints on photographic paper/media is the where everything must go) however the organic feel is so fascinating ,and I could understand why they don’t quit it,but with my digital gears set as I mentioned before I can really deal the same great digital photographic meaning specially for see in to the darkness…

So less any hateful Digital Intermediate speech I’m not telling that IF they used ALEXA 65 with Vintage Ultra Panavision lenses they could get a better THE HATEFUL 8,because this feature under the great ROBERT RICHARDSON A.S.C. is shot at Anamorphic 65mm film with Panaflex using tons of KW with Classic Hollywood Lighting and is not like the REVENANT shot by the beloved EMMANUEL “CHIVO” LUBEZKI A.M.C-A.S.C (using Alexa HD cameras and classic Panavision Anamorphic C Series Lenses with ONLY available ambient-practical lighting),so these western movies are in to a great beautiful confrontation..however this is not my business,are just thoughts for say in the media “fight” lenses could make really the difference and in this case Vintage Lenses Rules.

I loved my LX2 sold for other things,I always loved the LX5 for any reasons never get one,so finally I had got this Panasonic Lumix LX 7 f 1.4, here some sample of out of focus background images,so Enjoy!

“…Cinema through our portrayals allows people to experience emotions and events they might never come to know in their real life.We do have the responsibility to tell the truth”
Gred Gardiner ASC ON FILM Kodak American Cinematographer Vol 90 N°3

“we wound up shooting three night exterior sequences in Chicago with completely natural light in hi-def(Sony Sp900).I went with that system because of the shadow sensitivity and because of the way it looked.We were getting the equivalent[at gain of +6dB]of 2000 ASA.The camera is so sensitive to shadows that we were even seeing the clouds at night:We would never have gotten that on film,even if we pushed 500 ASA film by two stops.The image is a bit noisy and has a slight ghosting because we went with 360-degreee shutter,but we loved it.Sometimes you have to accept anomalies like noise in order to get a beautiful image.Hi-Def also has a different feel because the depth of field is so completely different.We could never have gotten that feel with film at all.There is more depth perception.Even though there is less image in focus,the apparent depth of field is greater.It’s so soft and real.We also used the Hi-Def Camera in the subway tunnels in Chicago,again shooting entirely with existing light.Yes ,the images are noisy,but I think that look is perfect for this movie.”
Emmanuel Lubezki ASC AMC RING LEADER American Cinematographer vol.82 N°11

“Film is not really good at low lights levels,but HD allows you to see nights as you actually see it by eye.Collateral is a prime example.Often people will walk by our monitors at night and say ,’ Wow! Because it show exactly what they’re seeing”
Roy H.Wagner ASC American Cinematographer Vol 90 N°3(The Unsuals)

“The Format’s strong point is its incredibile sensivity to light.We Were able to shoot L.A. at Night and actually see silhouettes of palm trees against the night sky,which was very exciting.”
Another advantage of HD you can fine-tune your color pack because you can see immediate results on the monitor.If there’s a shift in the color temperature you can instantly make the correction and match it completely
Dion Beebe ASC ACS American Cinematographer Vol85 N°8(Collateral)“In the years since HD cameras got into hands of working cinematographers,many have questioned which will ultimately win out,film or video.To see them work in concert together is to realize that they both have a place in the world of image acquisition.Film has its strengths and so does video.Finding a way to creatively integrate them will ultimately enable cinematographers to realize any shot imaginable.”
Rick Nagle Digital Imaging Technician American Cinematographer vol 89 N°5(Deception)

“…Anthony and I focus on emerging Technology[every Collaboration] feels like an adventure,It’s easy to quality control something people have been using for years,but you need a great cameraman to quality control the unknow”
Danny Boyle on 2K digital-cinema camera from Silicon Imaging American Cinematographer Vol. 89 N° 12

“..Mini Dv was out of question…working on location in India would not give him the level of control he’d had on 28 Days Later ,for which he was able to create elaborate lighting Setups…I also knew the incredible contrast there would destroy the chip of any conventional consumer digital camera…In addition to needing a digital camera with enough latitude to hold highlights he wanted something of very small…He found the right combination in the SI 2K Mini,whose imaging block,which houses its 2/3″ CMOS image Sensor and lens mount,can be separated from the rest of the camera”
Anthony Dod Mantle BSC,DFF Rags to Riches American Cinematographer Vol.89 N°12
Daytime shot of that sequence were captured with SI-2K Mini

“Cinematography is all about storytelling,and when you’re doing a genre film,you have to try to take it somewhere it hasn’t been before.It’s Easy to fall back on convention,but you should try to come up with a way to redifine the genre.”
Peter Deaming ASC, Drag me to hell, from article Supernatural Wrath by Iain Stasukevich AC Vol. 90N°6

“The Medium is romantic,intresting and beautiful,but it also looks real.And there’s so much you can do in post!Film has a certain kind of quality that cannot be matched by digital technology but at times,the advantages digital has over film are important for the language and the contents of the story you’re telling,and that determines your choice”
Dante Spinotti ASC , Editor Note, American Cinematographer Vol 90 N°7 page 8

When Director Gil Cates chose me to shoot a love story starring Bea Arthur and Richard Kelly,he said he liked what I’d done on The FLy.I reminded him that Jeff Goldbum and Geena Devis were in a horror film,not a love story.He Said”No they were in love,and that’s what the audience saw.Sometimes you have to ignore the words and let the pictures tell the story”
Mark Irwin ASC CSC Close Up American Cinematographer Vol 90 #7 page 76

FOR ME THE MOTHER OF ALL THE Q&A American Cinematographer Vol94 #8 page 34

Did Using Digital make a big difference in your lighting budget?

“We shot night exteriors at a T4 and it have doubled our lighting budget to duplicate the same scenario on film…”Bojan Bazelli ASC

Look around consumer’s media I can only say that We are in the Future,the word “High-Def” link to digital devices really breaks in our life, is changing our way to catch and read(learn) images,but In my poor opinion That’s not only a question of Tools or hardwares,the real differences are always been the MEN(their skills) and their choices…

MEANWHILE I HAD THE PERFECT EXPERIENCE

Last week end I been in Torino & I had the pleasure for the first time to watch a movie with DLP, watching

and really I had some boombastic experience

IDEAL Cityplex is allocated close Piazza Statuto and is the first theatre of this damned as beautiful city that adopt this outstanding technology ,we can watch 2D and 3D movies on 2K DLP Cinema Technology equipped by CHRISTIE CP2000 3 chip dlp cinema TechnologyCP2000 supported by DOREMI DCP 2000dcp.html server 2k and 4k resolution playback

The Main room ,movie theater Number #1 got DOLBY CP 650CP650 9 Channel for almost 50.000 watts,this device is a modular constructed processor that permit hardware evolution or upgrades , feature EQ Assist function for the best acoustic equalization all computer controlled.Never seen a Movie in a so powerful way so detailed on contrast and saturation matter…that was amazing!

With all the respect for who make this job,I would try to write some lines because the amazing night sky during the romantic dialogue between Eady and Neil really bring me to some of what I saw shoot on HD recently,HD really could quick the process but

belong to another time;according me the results really anticipated the future and that’s a great example of how film can deal with digital process,so that’s what I mean be Pioneers…

Inspiered by HOT SET by Les Paul Robley AC Jan 1996

“Like no Other Art Form,Film lives on Reality “ The More you believe an act happening on the screen the more you believe the story and the more successful the communication will be the storyteller and the audience” Dante Spinotti says…

Shot on Anamorphic format remarking how the bigger area of negative help to reduce grain for Michael Mann ‘s Heat Dante Spinotti ASC AIC uptaked Kodak 500 ASA 5298 Stock,pushed one stop for night exteriors and interiors but due the high quality low grain and colour the same stock hadn’t change due late day shooting,that’s been a great advantage when a movie is shot entirely on location.Rated at 800 ASA when using particular long lenses the light didn’t need to be increasead dramatically because the stock really work great.
HEAT was shot on Panavision Panaflex Camera at T2 with Panavision’s Primo Lenses(among 75mm),Super Hight Speed T1.4 50 mm Lenses,E SERIES 100mm/180mm at T 2.8,400 mm at T 3.5 and [11:1 and 5:1] Zoom lenses at T 5.6

“…a long romantic night scene between Robert De Niro and actress Amy Brennemann on a terrace overlooking the Hollywood Hills,the dialogue makes reference to ocean of city of lights lying all around them. Spinotti suggested to Michael Mann that they shoot the sequence against the greenscreen to maintain the sharpness and brilliance of the backgrounds ,and still add the night sky with its veil-shaped winter clouds . He was also concerned about the exposure and in obtaining a consistent look over the number of days of shooting.”

“..I basically shot the skies at T2 on Primo lenses ,pushed one stop and shooting at 4 frames per second. I then shot the city lights at 12 frames per second ,pushed one stop at T2.Then with a simple lighting ,and again with specific camera angles and heights, we shot two stand-ins against greenscreen. We then moved to postproduction.”
At Encore video we put togheter a number of shots that combined background plates of the Clouds,the city lights and sky.[They were shot with varying focal lengths] ,say, a 100 mm and a 50 mm lens, creating a strong ,romantic pictorialism. We also composed using more traditional combinations of lenses.The two profile side shots which carry focus from the foreground characters to the background seem to be a visual key that really delivers what the scene has to sell”

“Michael Mann wanted to photograph the actors against greenscreen at the actual location on both nights of scheduled shooting.To control the light coming from the city and the house behind Spinotti first lit the actors without greenscreen at level of T 4.7 in order to maintain some sharpness on their faces. The greenscreen was then brought in and lit to key level before the crew and was to shoot.
The Advantage [in using the digital process] is quite evident Dante Spinotti Points out. ”You can go through a number of takes to have the best performance from the actors ,without a change in the brightness of the background.”